Fuel tanks for motor vehicles generally have a reservoir or baffle to contain a minimum amount of fuel. These reservoirs and baffles are useful for concentrating fuel for delivery to an engine by a fuel pump or fuel pick-up tube. The reservoirs are shaped to contain a volume of fuel when the tank is relatively empty.
In addition to a reservoir, vehicle fuel tanks often are provided with baffles which are useful in preventing fuel from flowing to an area remote from the fuel pump or fuel pick-up tube when the vehicle is on an incline or changing direction or speed. Both reservoirs and baffles are useful in preventing fuel starvation to the engine.
Various types of reservoirs and baffles are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,286 teaches a molded plastic fuel tank having an integral splash baffle. Walls are molded on mutually opposite sides of the fuel tank and are joined to one another. An opening in the wall permits the flow of fuel through to an area confined by the splash baffle. A nonreturn valve may be attached to the baffle at the opening to prevent fuel from spilling out of the splash baffle area as the vehicle accelerates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,564 teaches a plastic fuel tank having C-shaped baffles molded therein. The baffles are molded into both an upper and lower half-shell and then welded together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,170 teaches the molding of a fuel reservoir having two C-shaped projections on one wall of a fuel tank. A parison is extruded within a molding chamber having a die conforming to the reservoir shape. The parison is inflated and takes the shape of the die. The reservoir is integrally formed within the fuel tank walls.
It is desirable for a fuel tank to have a reservoir and integral splash baffle. The reservoir should confine a minimum amount of fuel when the vehicle is on an incline in any direction or when the vehicle has undergone acceleration, deceleration, or a change of direction.